This invention relates generally to a device for manufacturing flexible magnetic sheets and/or films and to methods of making flexible magnetic sheets and/or films.
The magnetization of materials and production of magnets by applying a magnetizing field to a magnetizable composition is well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,276 to Bouchara, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,127,544 and 5,424,703 to Blume, Jr., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, all disclose various devices and processes for the magnetization of materials.
It is further well known that applying a magnetizing field to a magnetizable composition while the composition is in a fluid condition that allows particulate movement will result in alignment of the magnetic particles according to the applied magnetic field, and may substantially increase the strength of the resulting magnet. U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,701 to Sawa et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses such a process. However, the alignment of the magnetic particles, and the resulting magnetic strength, will only be maintained if the aligned condition induced by the magnetizing field can be maintained until the fluid composition sufficiently solidifies to the extent that further movement of the particles is prevented, thereby fixing the orientation of the magnetic particles according to the magnetizing field. Therefore, prior art methods of producing magnets having magnetic particles aligned according to a magnetic field have generally not included production of sheet magnets using traditional high speed roller devices.
There remains a need for an apparatus and method for making magnets in sheet form at high speeds in which the orientation of the magnetic particles are aligned according to an applied magnetic field.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.